Shedeur Sanders has interesting response to why he's not getting first-team reps at Cleveland Browns Training Camp

Why isn’t Shedeur Sanders getting first-team reps?
Cleveland Browns Training Camp
Cleveland Browns Training Camp | Jason Miller/GettyImages

It wasn’t the question Shedeur Sanders wanted to hear.

But it was the one everyone’s been asking.

And when longtime Browns radio host Tony Grossi awkwardly pressed Sanders about why he isn’t getting any first-team reps today at training camp, the Colorado Buffaloes legend didn’t flinch.

“That’s not my place to answer,” Sanders said with a calm smile. “I feel like if it’s not in my control, I’m not even going to think about that.”

There’s been plenty of buzz—and plenty of pressure—around Shedeur since he landed in Cleveland as a fifth-round pick. And now that camp is officially underway, things are starting to feel real. He’s sharing a quarterback room with Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.

So far, Shedeur’s story has him mostly running with the twos and threes.

That’s not what we were hoping for. But if Sanders is feeling the weight of it, you wouldn’t know it. His answers on Friday before the Browns' third practice were as composed and thoughtful as you’d expect from someone raised in the spotlight.

“I’m focused on doing me,” Sanders said. “I’m focused on learning what I need to learn. That’s simply it.”

This isn’t Boulder anymore

There’s no denying the adjustment. This isn’t Boulder anymore. Coach Prime isn’t calling the shots, and as much as we believe Shedeur should be Cleveland’s QB1 in the long run, he’s going to have to seriously earn it.

But that’s what made his comments Friday so impressive. There was no frustration or complaining.

“There’s a lot of people that want to have the opportunity to be at this level,” Shedeur said. “And I’m here. I’m thankful. So whenever that is, it is.”

That kind of perspective—at 22 years old, in the middle of a national QB competition—is very good to see.

Let the film do the talking

If you’re wondering when the narrative could shift, circle the Browns preseason opener: August 8 vs. Carolina.

Because all it takes is one drive. One solid game to get Browns fans calling for him to be the starter. If we’ve learned anything from Shedeur’s two years at CU, it’s that once the pads go on, he separates himself.

And according to some fans and media in Cleveland, it’s already starting to happen.

He’s building chemistry with undrafted wideout Luke Floriea, connecting on highlight throws that have turned heads in camp. One local fan tweeted, “How does anyone hate this dude? His answers are always so natural and genuine. They try to bait him and it doesn’t work. He’s just a good dude.”

It’s definitely too early to panic—and way too early to count him out.

Mike Tannenbaum of ESPN already said on Get Up that Sanders is a better prospect than Dillon Gabriel and should be starting by Week 9. Andrew Hawkins added that the pressure from fans is only going to increase as the season goes on.

The outside noise is getting louder.

Inside? Shedeur’s staying locked in.

“I know who I am as a person. I know what I can bring to this team,” he said. “So I can never feel less than in any circumstance.”

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